From Atlanta to Cologne to Kiev: The travel-weary lives of 'Counter-Strike' pros
A plane from Warsaw, Poland to Frankfurt, Germany. A train to Düsseldorf, Germany. A plane to Paris, France. A plane to Atlanta, Georgia. A plane back to Germany. A plane back to Atlanta.
Breaks in the world of professional Counter-Strike are few and far between. Being a part of one of the best teams in the world means near-constant traveling, flying all around Europe and the U.S. competing in tournament after tournament.
The travel can be exhausting, and getting some much-needed sleep can be a challenge. Some players in Atlanta for ELeague's last chance qualifiers haven't been home in a month, like Yegor "Markeloff" Markelov.
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"It's our fourth week in a row in tournaments," Markeloff said. "It's kind of tough not being home for a month."
While last week was a bye week for the ELeague tournament, it was also the final week of the ESL One major tournament in Cologne, Germany, which ended Sunday. Markeloff's team FlipSid3 Tactics has been traveling back and forth between Germany and Atlanta along with a handful of other Counter-Strike teams.
Jarosław "PashaBiceps" Jarząbkowski of Virtus.pro has had a similar experience, and while he wants to win and advance to the playoffs next week, he's also eager to go home to hug his wife, see his daughter and play fetch with his dog named Negev.
"As soon as it's possible to buy a ticket, I'll go," Pasha said. "It's always tough."
His teammate Paweł "byali" Bieliński echoed his feelings.
"Only one week is sometimes tough," Byalie said. A month is even worse.
Besides the homesickness, there's the physical and mental exhaustion. There's a six-hour difference between Germany and Atlanta, and jet lag is not something you want to deal with when you need to be focused on the game.
"I do not sleep during flights just to not have jet lag"
Some players have energy drinks or other caffeinated beverages on hand while playing, almost as prominent as Gatorade or water at an NFL game. Some try to mess with their sleep schedule so they're well-rested before games.
"I do not sleep during flights just to not have jet lag, so I will come here tired and have a really good sleep," Markeloff said.
And this isn't just happening in July or just for the summer. There is no real "season" for Counter-Strike; there are almost always two or more important tournaments happening every month that most of these teams participate in.
In May 2016 alone, there were five different tournaments going on in London, Austin, Atlanta and Kiev, some teams traveling between three of them.
"It's my job," Markeloff said. "I'm enjoying it."
ELeague is owned by Turner Broadcasting, which also is an investor in Mashable.
